Library funds drying up

Members of the Wayne Library Alliance were on hand during the weekly meeting of the Wayne County Commissioners Thursday morning to present their annual report.

By Melissa Leetmleet@wayneindpendent.com

- Members of the Wayne Library Alliance were on hand during the weekly meeting of the Wayne County Commissioners Thursday morning to present their annual report.

In the report, given by Molly Rodgers, she opened with good news first. The library is currently participating in a campaign called Geek the Library. That campaign focuses on asking library-goers to tell the world what they geek.

The goal of the campaign is to help citizens understand the importance of the library in a community. It also helps educate those interested in the library about what services the library really does provide.

"We have 24 different local people printed on these posters," said Rodgers. All of whom geek certain topics they can explore at their local library.

In the annual audit for 2012, Rodgers said that the net amount for that year was "negative $47,000."

"We've been doing everything we can to help," that figure she said. The measures the library has taken to help maintain its operations involve cutting hours and staffing. "We can't cut our hours anymore," she said. "We are really struggling."

Rodgers went on to say that the library is also doing "as much as we can in the way of local fundraising," to help take the edge off of the financial burden.

"I want to give you guys a red flag warning," she said. "If we can't do something about county and township funding, we're in trouble."

She said that there is no increase in the state budget for funding of the public libraries, and that funding has stayed level. The approximate percentage breakdown of funding the library has gotten in the past is 23 percent state, 26 percent county and around 47 percent from local fundraising.

Despite the fact that the library provides access to a large amount of federal services, "we usually get no federal funding."

Government agencies "are sending people to the library to look up and print out forms," to be returned to their offices, she said.

Rodgers also said their use of electronic resources has gone up, that will include three new databases. The funding for these databases will come from the Wayne Highlands Education Association (WHEA) and is geared for students in grades 7-12. The programs will be electronic and deal with items like teen health and financial learning.

Other business

• In compliance with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), the commissioners agreed to a maintenance of effort now that the HAVA funds have expired. The county is now responsible for keeping in compliance with this act.

• Public Safety Radio was authorized to install additional equipment on the Wayne04 tower to "expand broadband internet service into rural areas." The county has had an agreement with Public Safety Radio since September 2001.

• Bailey Martin was appointed to be a summer intern in the office of District Attorney Janine Edwards.

• The judicial appointment of Shelby Fendelander to fill a vacancy in District Judge Farrell's office was recognized. The appointment is effective July 15.

• Alex Mosher was transferred from being an administrative assistant at the Wayne County Correctional Facility to a clerk typist in the Area Agency on Aging, effective July 15.